zippy-claws

Back up North, and visited First Energy Wednesday night for the Men's big win, and it was glorious, although there are many empty seats where past neighboring season ticket holders used to be. Don't know if they're not using them, or didn't renew. Anyway, last night went to Dix Stadium and watched the Women Zips play Kent State. Boy, do the Zips Defense play rugged, tough football, and the keeper is pretty brave, facing lots of shots. Unfortunately, no goals, and we know you can't win if you don't score. 9 MAC matches, 7 scoreless losses. 3 total goals scored, and 1 was a penalty kick. If they could only find a scorer or 2, they would be in the thick of things with this Defense. Their style of play is too cautious, and they don't press forward. I read the comments on the Men's team, and the criticisms of their coaching decisions earlier this season, but the style of the Women's offense isn't questioned. It never changes to meet the conditions of the game. I want them to succeed so badly, but there doesn't seem to be a strategy. No playoffs again, for the 13th straight season.

I'm agreeing with @fknbuflobo on this one. I'm saying 1,250-ish! I did get notices from Akron that there's a sale on GA tickets for the game. But student participation is a must! I never did hear any more about the rumored end of the AK Rowdies. Anyone know anything? How wonderful to have the hill full of students for this one. Please!!!

Just fair warning @04Cards, you will be chastised and ridiculed by the Old Guard here for saying something like this. I've been a very good girl and have tried to stay positive this season, especially since the early success. But your analysis is a welcome, fresh approach. I have watched the staff and they are really trying, really working hard, but that doesn't translate to wins. They People In The Know will tell you "she inherited a mess", "she's 1 year away", "if only x hadn't been injured", etc. But your point re: recruiting is spot on. This is year 3 and there does not seem to be a lot coming in. Knowing how to recruit D1 players vs. D3 players and what they want from a soccer/education experience are a major point. I still want them to win, I'm still rooting for them. But...zero wins in the MAC?

Yeah, take a look at how hiring a D3 coach who rebuilt a program has worked out for the Zip's Women's soccer team....

A scrappy performance got the women's soccer team a come-from-behind draw yesterday. Still cleaning up down here from Milton, but still have power and internet and watched the match yesterday. First, Chad Welker continues to do a boffo job on the broadcasts. Second, the team got hosed a little at the end of the half when the referee decided to stop play with 6 seconds left so that Northern Illinois could retrieve a loose ball to play a corner, even though no one on the Zips kicked it away. That allowed NIU to score with 1 second left, although Mr. Welker questioned if the ball actually crossed the goal before the zeros showed on the clock. It tied the match, then NIU scored early in the second half on a mistake from our goaltender. Happens. But the Zips fought and fought and finally caught a break getting a deserved PK with 1 minute remaining and Katie Stafford slotted the tying goal. Lots of grit displayed, seems like the squad is missing a lot of their key players right now to injury? Keep up the effort, Go Zips!

@fknbuflobo wins! Box score on lineshows attendance at 578…

Over/under on attendance tonight? AK Rowdies have evidently disbanded, according to the scuttlebutt at the women's game Sunday....not that the students have been showing up anyway. I'll say 800.

We decided to go to Sunday's match vs. Ohio. Alumni Match. 2 Alums total showed up. And the match was.... I took a vow....

The Women's soccer team is sorely in need of a goal scorer at this point. I was afraid that the pre-season success wouldn't translate to MAC success, and unfortunately so far it hasn't. The scores haven't been bad, but they hide the fact that the defense is under constant pressure, with lack of offensive threats. Four straight clean sheet losses are quickly making the tournament a pipe dream. Not through lack of effort, but Coach needs to find an answer soon, and Sunday vs. Ohio is a good time to find one. Bobcats are undefeated at 1-0-3, and beat Oakland 7-0 in mid-September, beat BG 3-0 and just had a nil-nil draw vs. Kent State. Go Zips!

Whatever you say Ms. Guthrie! Stick up for your MAN!

Watched the Buffalo match, didn't watch the CMU match. They were outmatched vs. Buffalo, but put up a great fight defensively. Held them scoreless for 75 minutes, but you could tell one play was going to settle it, and the second goal was expected after the disappointment. Have no idea how the 1-0 loss to the Chipps occurred, but no goals in 2 straight matches means the O has to step it up. @MDZip likes Heskitt, I think she still lacks quickness but is a player. My favorite so far is Kiana Harsh - solid defender and fierce. Go get 'em Zips on Thursday night!

@TennZip Thanks so much for all of this work, it is amazing! And so informative. I have to agree with @MDZip, that the MAC will be a challenge, hence my questions on the field's non-conference slate. My prediction, or hope is for a top 8 finish and making the MAC tourney. Good Luck Zips!

@TennZip, I hate to throw this to you, but you always do such a nice job filling us in on how the Men's team stands in relation to their conference foes. Do you have thoughts on how the Women's team stacks up vs. MAC teams going into conference play, based on the non-conference play so far? Is 5-0-2 going to play out to success in the MAC? (I'm hoping it does!). Or anyone else have thoughts? Also, I looked back as far as 2007 when our daughter was on campus to see women's records, and there was never a team that went undefeated more than 3 games to start a season! Best start in program history? I believe it is.

It is a legitimate question, but I don't think you can compare what Caleb got/had in 2010-12 with what is now standard practice funding and such in 2024. 14 years is a long time, and we have all said how the game, recruiting, players, clubs, etc. have changed during that time frame. @72 Roo is correct that what we have now is not what others have from our school and our equipment deals. One things has changed - Nike vs. Adidas. Not sure if that means anything or not,, probably not.

Wonderful win for the women today on Senior Day! Not sure why they chose to do it at an earlier game than the final one, but it was a beautiful day and a great way to end the extended weekend in town. A women's win Thursday night, football win last night, and this today, 1-0 over St. Francis. (the "other" game yesterday won't be mentioned). The women looked a little tired, maybe the heat? St. Francis out-shot us, and our GK Penelope Cuewen (oh, I give up!) was excellent, but the team figured out a way to put pressure on late and poked one in. 5-0-2! The MAC grinder will start this week, so we'll get a better picture, but they are not going to be an easy mark. And...I may have been wrong about our coach, I'm not ashamed to admit. Damn, I hate being wrong...but yet glad I was!

From our perspective, the music volume was very good, not too loud, but loud enough to get the fans excited. But the big difference was the quality of music. Mostly all R & R, hardly any "thuggish" stuff. And pretty much PG rated, no R stuff. And it wasn't on every play like the last two seasons. I, we thought the overall GameDay experience was so much better than last season or two. I couldn't understand (nor could the family sitting behind us) why there wasn't more entry points open to the stadium, and there were a lot of frustrated people waiting in line during the first quarter. We got there waaaay early because we also went to the men's soccer match, and stuck around campus between the games. Not sure what the official attendance was, but to us it looked about 9 to 10,000 actual "Butts-in-seats". The Marching band seemed larger this year as well and they were their usual excellent selves. In-game promos and time out appearances by groups on field were great too and well timed. Nice to see our Paralympic Silver medalist! Good stuff!

I totally agree with you. This team has more talent. Unfortunately, the talent of NCAA men's soccer has also improved overall since 2018. But you are right, and I hope that anybody, not just Stefan or Dyson can go nuts on the pitch...beginning tonight!

You mean these shoes? Ask the rest of the MAC admin and ADs what their view is of this man's shoes...you'd be amazed at how little he is respected.

Two quick thoughts: 1) Not that Akron is any different than other schools, but with all the transfers in and out and 5th year and grad players coming and going, putting in a season or two here, have we lost the team chemistry that for years was the Zip trademark of play? 2) Would we be less vulnerable to "pussyfooting", quick strikes after scoring, heck at all, if we played a more "conventional 4-4-2 rather than going with the 3-5-2?

Despite what our AD thinks, the track and field and xc programs are in total disarray. They like to hang their hat on the fact they won the MAC titles, but that's taking credit for winning a conference that completely sucks and has only 4 or 5 schools on the mens side, depending on whether you count Miami's distance runners as a complete team. The Greatest Coach EVAH has lost a throws coach, a PV coach and a distance coach in just 2 years, not to mention the runners and throwers who have left. You can blame the SID for lack of correct info, but it stinks what this program has devolved to. But hey, we'll probably win another 4-team MAC indoors this year. Can't figure out why Garretson stayed here.

So excited by the recent outcomes for the women's soccer team! We went to both the Oakland and the Wright State matches, (and unfortunately came back and watched the men vs. Ohio State after dinner). There are marked signs of improvement, both of the players themselves and the strategies/tactics employed by the staff. And the new recruits seem to be fitting in and having a level of talent above past teams. Two thigs that has stood out to me: Their resilience - they have bounced back from deficits, where in the past going down a goal was the death knell for the Zips. And their team work. Both goals I witnessed were a cut above past because they were actual plays... both goals were assisted, the flow of the attack was spot on, and they converted. Sure, there's a lot of things needing improvement, but the early results are very positive.

Way to go! Starting the season with a W is a great start, plus it was a road win, plus it was a come-from-behind win. Tried to watch, but the lack of cameras made it painful, but both goals seemed to be blazers - well struck with force and to the proper side of the keeper. Great job to the women and coaches...

Is Emil the son of (or related to) Jussi, former Bolton Wanderer's Goalkeeper? I see he lists his hometown as Bolton, so I wonder. Also, didn't we play LIU last season with him in their lineup?

I am so hoping that all of my negativity the past few seasons has left my body, and I can enjoy women's soccer this season. I have been a huge critic of Coach Simonetti, but it sure looks like she's worked very hard since the end of 2023 to make this program work. She's doing the hard part, and the incoming class, at least on paper, promises to add talent in the right places. We're still in Florida, so I didn't get to see either of the exhibitions, but it sounds like they played well against Dayton and St. Bonaventure. My "goal!" is to get behind the women and not be such a pain in the butt re: Coach. She's showing she's willing to put in the time to make the squad a winning one, and that's a lot for me. Go Women's Soccer! Go Zips!

Why oh why do we have to wait until Our Leader decides to post non-con matches? There was an Instagram post with the non-con schedule, but it mysteriously disappeared the next day....cannot be found. Yet the knuckleheads that try to show "leadership" in Marketing 101 won't let us know who we're playing....but there's more! Now they want me, us, to renew our season tickets but they won't tell us who we're playing or when... What a GREAT DI experience! Way to go Zips Athletics....